Dealing with a Housing Association

[RobinH]

My mum lives alone in a Housing Association house - she's lived there since 1969. The Association has been through some mergers/takeovers, and they don't take their responsibilties to a vulnerable tennant at all seriously. For example, they don't have a way of recording that mum is a Vulnerable Adult, they write to her at her address, in spite of me having an LPA.

They give her phone number and address out to third parties all the time, the latest to a decorator, who I have to try to get hold of before he calls on mum and scares the bejesus out of her.

Does anyone know what their legal obilgations are? Obviously she won't be the only Vulnerable Adult tennant they have - I would guess perhaps 1 in 20 to 1 in 50, so dozens or hundreds across all their premises, but without knowing what they should be doing, it's hard to hold them to account. Any references or links welcome.

thanks

Robin

 

[Jessbow]

Do they actually have any responsibility towards her?

You might have LPA, but have you told them that mails should come to you?

I agree, they shouldn't give her address / telephone number out- that applies to any third party, not just vunerable adults

 

[Katrine]

If you have registered LPA you can apply to have her mail redirected to you: http://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/Redirection_Special_Circumstances_Application_Form.pdf It costs £50 a year, or less for a shorter period of time.

We've just done this for MIL (who is now in a CH). You can do it at a post office, taking your LPA document and the other things they ask for - read the form very carefully because it is easy to miss what they mean. You have to produce:

• the original or officially certified copy of the LPA, PLUS
• either 2 recent utility bills OR a bank/building soc/credit card statement for you, at the address you want the mail redirected to, PLUS
• a document (see the list on the form) relating to your mum at the address you want the direction from, PLUS
• the completed signed redirection form, PLUS
• your payment, or credit/debit card to make the payment.

I also recommend that you write to the Housing Association, explaining that you have registered LPA and that your mum does not deal with her own business affairs. Instruct them to contact you regarding any repairs, access to the property, special offers from contractors etc. Tell them that, as a vulnerable adult, your mum's personal details must not be given to any third parties because she is at risk from financial exploitation due to her lack of capacity.

Note on the letter that you have sent a copy of these instructions to your mum's solicitor, for his/her information, because if, for any reason, you are unable to act as your mum's attorney the solicitor would be dealing with your mum's financial and business affairs. It doesn't even matter if you don't have a solicitor, it just reminds them to operate with probity, or else.

We are going to have to have words with MIL's CH who have given her name to a 3rd party and initiated a personal (but not intimate! ) examination and quote for supply of goods without our knowledge or permission. Apparently they give the names of all new residents to this company because they have a contract with them. How they can do this when they know OH has POA I just don't understand. MIL clearly lack capacity but they have put her in a position where she might contract to pay for goods and services.

 

[RobinH]

law

Thanks Katrine. Post isn't a problem, as I'm there twice a week. Any references to law would be helpful though.

Robin

 

[RobinH]

update

Hi

I called the housing association to tell them (again) that mum has dementia, and they need to deal with me and not give out her details. Again the very helpful person on the phone said they have no way of flagging a vulnerable adult on their systems. She said mum's Housing Officer would call me, but nothing yet after 2 days. Does nobody have any knowledge of their obligations to vulnerable tennants?

I will update if I make any progress.

On a seperate note, mum can no longer operate any equipment, no matter how simple. Not a phone, not a tv remote, not even the kettle. She has a TrueCall unit which has shielded her from fraudsters and random dialers, but now she can't remember what a phone is, what I need is to be able to speak via speaker phone without her having to pick up. Truecall can't do this, but have said they will consider the requirement for future development. If you are a Truecall user and are interested in thiis idea, please let them know.

Robin